Lower Austria

WINE

Lower Austria holds Austria’s biggest quality-wine territory, with the three main regions of Wachau in the North, the Danube region on the Western side of Vienna and the Pannonian Lower Austria in the South East. These regions produce a number of very different wines:

The Grüner Veltliner, with a peppery fresh taste. Certainly the most famous and popular wine of the region

The rather dry Riesling, for example, is harvested mostly in the Danube region between Melk and Klosterneuburg.

Specialities like the Weißburgunder, or the Chardonnay can be found in the Kamptal, where the volcanic soil adds a mineral touch to the wine, one can find.

Excellent red wines such as the harmonic Zweigelt, the St. Laurent and also more and more the Pinot Noir are produced south of Vienna

The so-called “Weinstraße” (wine street), an 830 kilometers long route, which leads through eight distinct wine regions, more than 150 wine villages and approximately 1500 inns, is a popular destination for Austrians.

MOST (MUST)

Most, from the Latin vinum mustum (young wine) is freshly pressed fruit juice. The most common kind is the one made from grapes, which is also the first step to making wine. This popular alcoholic drink is very common to Lower Austria, especially the regions between the Mostviertel (“must quarter”) in the West of Vienna and the Bucklige Welt (“humpy world”) in the Southeast. The Bucklige Welt is especially known for its numerous “Most-Heurige” (from the Austrian word “heurig” which means “from this year”), which are seasonal wine taverns, where this year’s wine and a limited selection of food is served in a very simple and sociable setting. For the Bucklige Welt region apple must or cider is especially typical.

ASPARAGUS

The Marchfeld, which is an area in the East of Vienna and geologically speaking the biggest plain in Lower Austria, is well- known for its corn and vegetable production. Next to onions, peas, carrots, spinach, salad, beans, celeriac and maize the “star” among the Marchfeld vegetables is the asparagus, which serves as an important ingredient for many Austrian dishes.